In Search of Pie!

The Lighthouse Restaurant.


Located in the Lake Erie village of Port Burwell. This is a thriving year round community that also boasts... you've got it! 
                                         
                                       REAL PIE!

One of the old original hotels of our area, this big box of a building has been open as either a hotel, bar and restaurant for many, many years. 

Now clad in metal siding, it used to be that sort of siding that looks like asphalt shingles.

I like to take pictures so no one knows! 

They serve a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bringing in local talent for nights of music and fun!

Many hours of happy times here, more than one drunken brawl and I'm sure the odd clandestine assignation!

Showing their Scottish roots over the fireplace.

Of course, Lake Erie Perch is a staple.

They just had the one kind of pie left though?

Everything else was sold out, so I had no choice but...

 Apple pie a la mode!

The apples looked like they'd be mostly raw.

(In my world, apple pie should be baked so the chunks of apple are cooked soft!)

The crust looked flaky and light. It was obviously a hand made one and not out of a box!

I jumped into the fray and was pleasantly surprised!

Soft and sweet. The cinnamon just right!

I highly recommend a stop here!

Yes momma! We will run the roads in search of pie and

continue the tradition you started. We will not let you down!

Paczki Day! Or Fat Tuesday

What are Paczki? 

Well, not just another donut!

Paczki are traditionally made for the two weeks before Fat Tuesday. Pronounced Pooch-Key or Punch-Key or Poonch-Key. Any one of those is correct. Polish in origin, these round, sugar coated, fruit filled pastries were served up annually on the day before Lent. 

Originally, they were made for practical reasons, to use up all the lard and eggs which were prohibited during Lent. Now, they're more of a last minute binge of sweets before the sacrifice. 

 

The word Paczki means 'little package' in Polish.

The new world version, like the old, is an extra large doughball, rich in egg yolks and deep fried, just like a donut. 

It's overfilled with raspberry, strawberry, custard, lemon or even the traditional filling of prune. Then, it's topped with a smooth sugar glaze or rolled in fine granulated sugar. IT's 100% quality, or you can't call it Paczki!  The one that I bought was stuffed full of the most delicious blueberry filling. I could have taken either this glazed one, or sugar dusted.
And don't ask about the calories, you just don't want to know.

Paczki are becoming what chocolate is to Valentines and pumpkin pie is to Thanksgiving. Many folks share then with family and friends. In past years, bakeries claimed Halloween as the day that sold the most donuts, but now areas of the country show that Paczki sales surpass even their Christmas figures! 

For two weeks of the year, I think I'll be Polish! Yum! Yum!


The Paczki pictured here was purchased at:

The Courtland Bakery Ltd.  Owners: John and Mary Peazel
519-688-2023

What's Inside?

The Courtland Bakery!


When I find someplace that is outstanding, I could snap photos all day long! This huge bakery is so packed full of delights, it was hard to decide what to photograph and what to leave out! Yesterday, my post was all about the delicious beef pies we feasted upon.


Today... I'll tell the rest of the story!
If you can't see the whole photo on your screen, just click it!

Of course, when we think the word Bakery, we always think of bread first. All types of bread and many dietary breads are available. Example: No sugar, no cholesterol rye. 

This bakery will not disappoint. I believe (and it's evident in the taste,) that they still use real butter and quality ingredients. The community was originally settled with Polish, Hungarian and Belgian immigrants and this food reflects those origins. 

 

Baby Pies abound with any filling imaginable!

An enormous kitchen boasts cleanliness and a sweet smell. I've been shopping here since I was a teenager.

Bars galore can be purchased singly or by the dozen!

I saw Three kinds of nanimo, date squares, brownies, dream bars, butter tart squares and carrot cake sheets. I can't remember them all!

I've bought these before! They certainly have a little bite to them!

One of my other first choices is puff pastry and they make these the way I like, nice and brown. My sister bought elephant ears.

I had to take home four of these Cheese Crowns. Two lemon, one cherry for Dick and one blueberry for me!

Puff pastry made with cream cheese instead of butter. A little cheesecake like filling in the cups and then a fruit of creamy filling on top. Pure Bliss!

Lots of choices for those hard to find foods. Sauerkraut, noodles and chutneys. You can see the cheese counter to the left.

Some pretty wonderful selections of cold meats. Many of them made locally. My sister bought this pork loin and bacon loaf. Gosh! it looked good!

 

They have about ten tables set up so you can sit in front of those big picture windows, bask in the sunshine and eat your favorite sweet!

Although, it's always hard to find an empty one.

Come! Join us!

Pictures all taken with my Digital Camera: A Nikon P90

In Search of Pie

The Courtland Bakery, 
 Courtland, Ontario

In Southern Ontario, partway between Delhi and Tillsonburg... right along Highway 3  lies the small village of Courtland. Small, but mighty, this community is packed full of day tripping goodness.


And I finally found real pie!

A simple brick building in a simple rural community. 

The austere exterior hides the delights within.

Tons of Pie!

Something for every palate!

Oh Heaven! Oh Bliss!

Then we thought, Oh! It's lunchtime and we should show some sense!

So we picked Beef pies!

What an amazing choice! 

Handmade right on the premises with flaky, to die for pastry!

Every bite was a dream with mouth watering goodness.

         If you're ever driving down #3 Hwy, stop in and treat yourself!

Tomorrow... What else was inside!

What's Inside? Angelo's Bakery

If you didn't read my post of yesterday... Stop! And go back to yesterday and read that post first. 

This is the rest of the store.... AHH! Angelo's Bakery!

They have a nice selection of grocery items. Lots of specialty items with Italian and Portuguese flavor.  I bought milk and eggs, pizza dough in a baggie and some salami and ham. A nice fresh hunk of mozzarella for my pizza Saturday night.

A super long deli counter. This is the cold meat and cheese side. Look at how clean that floor is?

If it's cheese... they sell it.

If it's some kind of Deli meat... they sell it!

Of course the bakery was how it all started. The selection is truly amazing!

All the walls have murals. This case is full of sandwiches, lasagna's and cakes.

The fella' was trying to decide what kind of bread to choose.

A cake for every occasion. So hard to pick!

This was my lunch. Five chicken wings, sweet BBQ sauce. 

(89 cents each!) 

Brio is a delicious Italian carbonated beverage. Sort of pruney. 

I love it! 

And of course my dessert. (Featured yesterday.) 

My lunch total was $8.97 

This chap was relaxing with the London Free Press. 

 

Daddy had his little girl's out for lunch. They were adorable!

I left this wonderful place full and happy. Two baggies loaded with tasty stuff that made the best pizza that night! 

Thanks for coming along with me and if you're ever in London, Ontario, stop in to any of the Angelo's Bakeries scattered around the city. I've never had anything from there that wasn't just the best!